Rotary loop-taker for sewing machines



y 5, 1943; J. E. WERTZ 2,320,316

ROTARY LOOP-TAKER FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Oct. 7, 1941 [C Y 0.9 285354 20 23092 /L73 James E uriz Patented May 25, 1943 ROTARY LOGP-TAKER FOR SEWING -'IVIACHINE S James Wart-z, ware-shoals s. 0., assignor to .TheSingerf ManufacturingiCompany, Elizabeth, N. .l.,.a corporation of New Jersey Application October 7, 1941,*S'erial No. 413 915 .16 Claims. (Cl. 112--'22'8) This inventionirelates to sewing machine looptakers and is particularly applicable to rotary loop-takers having :a cup-shaped body in which is "journaled a:thread-carrier restrained against rotation with :the" loop-taker,

Woven sheet 1 materials 1 of various kinds contain a filling o'frextraneousor foreign matter; a "substantial percentage of which matter becomes dislodged. by :the'needle and the feeding :mecha 'nism of a sewing -machine when stitching said materials. The dislodged extraneous -matter .re-

ferred to may adhere to the inner 'face of the loop-taker, and to theouter face of the threadcarrier proximate to said inner face-of the looptaker, in sui'lic'ient :quantity to interfere with stitch-formation and 1 to resultin theskipping of stitches. This condition has required frequ'en't washing of the loop-takenand its thread-carrier to clear them ofthe collectedextraneous matter, thereby resulting in loss-oi production by the'sewing machine.

The present'invention has for its primary-obj ect to reduce to a minimum, during sewing operations, the accumulation of sheet-material -extraneous matter upon the thread-carrier associated with -"a .rotary loop-taker of a sewing machine, and to correspondingly minimize the skippingof "stitches. =ther'and more specific objects of the invention will be apparent from the following'description and claims.

The invention consists in the association with a sewing machine loop-taker of a wiper 'or deflector device, a-preferred embodiment of which is hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a horizontal-axis rotary'loop-takencontaining the wiper deviceimprovement, a fragment of the thread-carrier rotation-restrain-ing finger being also shown in top plan. Fig. z isa-irontend elevation of the looptaker in a position slightly advanced angularly beyond that shown in Fig. ,1. Fig. 3 represents a cross-section ofithe proximate walls of the looptaker'and its thread-carrier in the region of the wiper device, the section being taken substantial- 1y on the line 3-'3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is arear side elevation of .the Flop-taker in substantially the position thereof illustrated in Fig. .2, and with the bobbin-thread pull-off flange partly broken away. Fig. 5 is .a front end elevation of a fragment of the loop-taker as shown in Fig. '2, with the wiper element omitted. Fig. 6 represents a perspective view of the loop-taker, with the thread-.carrierand its retainingg-ib omitted. Fig.

7 .represents "a perspective 'view :of the thread-- carrier of the loop-taker.

As illustrated in the I drawing, the present improvement has been embodied .in :a horizontalaxis loop taker constructed substantially "as "dis- 'closedin the U. 'S. patent'toC. A..Kessler, No. 2,085,699, June 29,1937.

Referring to-the drawing, the:loop=taker-has a :generally cup-shaped body member, including a cylindrical sidewall I0, :and a bottom wall H which has :a hub 12 adapted to be secured by :screws 13 upon a horizontally disposed 'rotary actuating shaft (not shown). The cylindrical side wall [.0 of the loop-takerisvpartly cutaway toprovide atiits outer edge aneedle-thread'loop seizing beak M. 'Theloop seizing beak 'l 4 :is opposed to and spaced slightly from a loop-discharging tail or spur lliprovided'uponrasegmenta'l gib 16; said gib llibein'g detachablysecured by screws IT upon the cylindrical side wall 10 of the loop-taker.

'Detachablys'secured byrscrews lt8 upon and overlyinga portion 'of'the cylindrical sidewall it of the loop-taker body is a segmental sheet-"metal plate l9. 'lhe'tapered advance'end fSof'the segmental-plate "I9 is disposed to extend partly across the-gap between'the beak l and the tail 1'5 ofth'e loop-taker, said tapered end 1'9 of the plate being as usual complemental to the beak M in directing the limbs 'of the seized needlethread loops. One side edge 20 ofthe segmentalplate i9 'is curved to "extend outwardly beyond therim of the loop-'taker'side'wall "l 0, thereby to function as 'apulkoii flange "for the interlocking or bobbin-thread. The thread pull-oft end 'portion or heel 'of the segmental-plate is provided with the usual needle-clearance :notch 2 I, said notch being disposed substantially diametrically opposite to'the beak H.

The "sidewall "H! of the loop-taker bodyis 'cut away circumferentially to provide an internal raceway 22, said raceway being in part completed by a side flange 23 of the segmental and detachable 'g'ib It. Journaled in the raceway 22, and thereby having a bearing-support in the loop-taker body, is a bearing-rib 24 formed upon and extending circumferentially of a generally cylindrical side wall 2501 a thread-carrier member'26. The bearing-rib 24 is interrupted to provide the usual needle-thread clearance gap between the shoulder-defining opposed ends 21 and 28 of the bearing-rib. Disposed within the thread-carrier is a bobbin-case"29 containing a bobbin :(not shown) -of interlocking thread about which needle-thread loops are cast by the loop thread-carrier 26 is as usual restrained against rotation with the loop-taker body-member IO, U, l2. The cylindrical side wall of the thread-carrier 26 is provided with the usual needle-clearance slot 36 disposed directly adjacent the stop-notch 33 of the thread-carrier, the segmental flange 32 being partly cut away at the inner side thereof to form said slot 36.

In the operation of a lock-stitch sewing machine containing the loop-taker hereinbefore described in general terms, the usual sewing machine needle (not shown) in its descent enters the thread-carrier slot 36 and, while in said slot, rises sufficiently to present a loop of needlethread for seizure by the beak l4 of the looptaker. Should the thread-carrier slot 36 and the adjacent face of the thread-carrier be permitted to become clogged by foreign matter such as becomes dislodged during the stitching operation from heavily filled sheet-materials, the needle will fail in its function of presenting a thread-loop to the loop-taker beak I 4, thereby resulting in the skipping of stitches.

In order to provide a maximum of bobbinthread capacity for the thread-carrier 26 in a given size of loop-taker; the cylindrical side wall 25 of the thread-carrier is disposed in close proximity to the inner face of the cylindrical side wall In of the loop-taker body. However, it is essential to provide suflicient space to afford thread clearance between the inner face of the loop-taker wall I 0 'and the outer face of the thread carrier wall 25, inasmuch as it is necessary to pass the needle-thread between said walls and through the gap'between the shoulders 21 and 28 of the thread-carrier bearing-rib 24. It is therefore undesirable to permit clogging of the space between the proximate faces of the loop-taker wall l0 and the thread-carrier wall 25 by the adherence to said faces of foreign matter dislodged from sheet materials being j stitched. As hereinbefore mentioned, it has been the prior practice to wash the loop-taker to remove therefrom collected foreign matter interfering with proper stitch-formation, and this 7 h'asof course resulted in loss of production by the sewing machine.

In accordance with the present invention. the loop-taker is provided with means preventing, or at least reducing to a negligible minimum, the lodging of -extraneous foreign matter upon the outer face of the thread-carrier wall. 25 in an area thereof displaced axially from the bearing-rib 24 and'in the needle-slot 36 of the thread-carrier. To this end, the side wall ID of the loop-taker is provided with a transverse slot '3! extending from the outer rim of said sidewall substantially to the raceway 22. The slot 31 is disposed substantially diametrically opposite to the beak M of the loop-taker and radially'within the heel portion of the segmental-plate l9'at'a point closely adjacent the needle-clearance notch 2| therein. The outer face of thewall ID of the loop-taker at one side of the slot 31 is partly cut away to form a depression 38 in said outer face.

Disposed in the depression 38 of the loop-taker wall In, and clamped against said wall by the detachable plate l9, are the overlapped ends of a flatwise doubled strip 39 of suitable flexible wiper material, preferably of leather. The overlapped plies of the flexible strip 39 are passed through the slot '31, and extend from said slot generally circumferentially of the thread-carrier between the proximate faces of the wall In of the loop-taker and the wall 25 of the threadcarrier. The plies of the leather strip 39 naturally tend to spring apart at the doubled free end of said strip, thereby forming a resilient wiper-element for the outer face of the threadcarrier wall 25 in the area of said wall displaced axially from the bearing-rib 24. The doubled free end of the wiper-element 39 underlies a portion of the needle-clearance notch 2|, said element widthwise extending partly across said notch so as to pass over a substantial width of the needle-clearance slot 36 of the thread-carrier during rotation of the loop-taker. The wiperelement 39 thereby functions constantly to prevent adherence of foreign matter to the outer face of the thread-carrier, adjacent the journal bearing of said thread-carrier, and to reduce to a negligible minimum the lodgment of said foreign matter in the needle-clearance slot 36 of the thread-carrier. The wiper-element also functions to baflle the lodgment of foreign matter upon the inner face of the loop-taker wall Ill.

The inner side edges of the doubled wiperelement 39 are preferably disposed in sliding engagement with the outer side faceof the threadcarrier bearing-rib 24, thereby tending to steady the thread-carrier 26 against canting responsively to a pull of the stitching threads.

Being located substantially diametrically opposite to the loop-taker beak M, the wiper-element 39 passes over the needle-thread, extending through the bearing-rib gap of the threadcarrier, at approximately the time of maximum expansion of the needle-thread loop by the looptaker. The wiper-element thereby does not interfere with the expansion of the needle-thread loop by the loop-taker, and said wiper-element passes across the needle-thread at a time when the tautness of said thread lends itself to noninterference by the wiper with the handling of the thread.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention what I claim herein is:

1. In a sewing machine loop-taker including a member having a cylindrical body, and a thread-carrier member having a bearing support in said cylindrical body, one of said members being rotatable relatively to the other member. the improvement which consists in the provision of .a wiper-element carried by one of said members and disposed in wiping relation to the proximate face of the other of said members in an area axially displaced from said bearing support.

In a rotary loop-taker for sewing machines, in combination, a loop-taker body-member having a cylindrical side-wall provided with a needle-thread-loop seizing beak and an internal raceway, a thread-carrier member having a bearing-rib journaled in said raceway, said threadcarrier member having a generally cylindrical proximate taces bearing rib and raceway toward the proximate face of the other .of said walls.

rendered reflective upon rotation of said members relative to each other for maintaining one of the of said walls adjacent "said bearing-rib and raceway substantially free from deposit thereupon of extraneous matter ,deleter-is oils :to stitch-formation.

3. A rotary loop-taker for sewing machines;

including a fbody member having a cylindrical side wall provided with a needle-threadloop seizing beak and with an internal raceway, a thread-carrier member having a bearing-rib jourmailed in said raceway and having a generally cylindrical side wall portion adjacent said bear -ing=rih proximate to but spaced from the side,

wallof said loop-taker body member, and means:

extending from one of said walls toward the proximate face of the other of said walls adjacent said "bearing-rib and rendered effective upon rotation of said members relative to each other for maintainingsaid face substantially free hem deposit thereupon of extraneous matter deleterious to stitch-formation.

4. A rotary loop-takerfor sewing machines, including a body-member having a cylindrical side wall provided with a needle-thread-loop seizing beak and with an internal raceway, a thread-carrier member having a bearing-rib journaled in said raceway, said thread-carrier member having a generally cylindrical side wall portion adjacent said bearing-rib proximate to 2 but spaced from the'side wall of the loop-taker body-member, and a wiper-element disposed entirely at one side of said bearing-rib and extending from the inner face of the loop-taker body member toward the proximate face of said thread-carrier member.

5. A rotary loop-taker for sewing machines, including a loop-taker body member having a cylindrical side wall provided with a needlethread-loop seizing beak, a thread-carrier member disposed within said looptaker body member and having a generally cylindrical side wall portion proximate to but spaced from the side wall of said body-member, one of said members having a raceway and the other of said members having a bearing-rib journaled in said raceway, and a wiper-element carried by one of said members and disposed between the proximate faces of said side walls adjacent said bearing-rib and raceway.

6. A sewing machine loop-taker having a cylindrical side wall provided with a thread-loop seizing beak and with an internal raceway, a threadcarrier having a bearing-rib journaled in said loop-taker and having a generally cylindrical side-wall adjacent said bearing-rib proximate to but spaced from said side wall of the loop-taker, and a wiper-element disposed entirely at one side of said bearing-rib between the proximate faces of said side-walls substantially diametrically opposite to said beak of the loop-taker, said wiper-element being carried by said loop-taker for rotation therewith.

7. A rotary loop-taker for sewing machines, including a, body-member having a cylindrical side wall provided with a needle-thread-loop seizing beak and with an internal raceway, a thread-carrier member having a bearing-rib journaled in said raceway, said thread carrier member having a generally cylindrical side wall portion adjacent said bearing-rib proximate to but spaced from the side wall of said loop-taker body-member, and a flexible wiper-element extending from one of said walls adjacent said 8..A rotary loop taker for sewing machines. including a body-member having a cylindrical side wall provided with a-needle-thread-loop seizing beak and with an internal raceway, a threadcarrier member having a bearing rib journaled'in said raceway, said thread-carrier member having a generally cylindrical side wall portion dis- :p'laced axially from said bearing rib and proximate to but spaced from the side wall of the loop-taker body-member, and a flexible wiperelement carried by said body-member of the looptaker at one side of said raceway and extending from the inner face-of said body-member toward the proximate face of said side wall portion :of the thread-carrier member.

9. A loop-taker for sewing machines, including a rotary cup-shaped body-member having a cylindrical side wall provided with a needlethread-loop seizing beak, a thread-carrier member journaled in said body-member of the looptaker, said thread-carrier member having a generally cylindrical side wall portion proximate to but spaced from the side wall of said loop-taker body member, and a flexible wiper-element having one end thereof extending from the inner face of said side wall in a direction oppositely to said beak, said wiper-element having its opposite free end disposed substantially in engagement with the outer face of said side wall of the thread-carrier member.

1-0. A loop-taker for sewing machines, including a rotary cup-shaped body-member having a cylindrical side wall provided with a needlethread-loop seizing beak, a thread-carrier member journaled in said body-member of the looptaker, said thread-carrier member having a generally cylindrical side wall portion proximate to but spaced from the side wall of said loop-taker body member, and a wiper-element extending from one of said walls toward the proximate face of the other of said walls, said wiper-element comprising a doubled strip of flexible material having the doubled end thereof disposed substantially in engagement with said proximate face.

11. A loop-taker for sewing machines, including a rotary cup-shaped body-member having a cylindrical side wall provided with a needlethread-loop seizing beak, a thread-carrier member journaled in said body-member of the looptaker, said thread-carrier member having a generally cylindrical side wall portion proximate to the side wall of said loop-taker body-member. and a flexible wiper-element disposed between said walls, said wiper-element comprising a doubled strip of flexible material having the overlapped ends thereof attached to said side wall of the loop-taker and having the doubled end portion thereof disposed substantially in engagement with the outer face of the side wall of said thread-carrier.

12. A loop-taker for sewing machines, including a rotary cup-shaped body-member having a cylindrical side wall provided with a needlethread-loop seizing beak, a thread-carrier member journaled in said body-member of the looptaker, said thread-carrier member having a generally cylindrical side wall portion proximate to but spaced from the side wall of said loop-taker body-member, and a flexible wiper-element extending from the inner face of said side wall of the loop-taker body-member in a direction oppositely to said beak and circumferentially of the outer face of said side wall of the threadmarrier member said wiper-element comprising a doubled strip of flexible material and having the doubled end thereof in proximity to said outer face of the thread-carrier member.

13. A rotary loop-taker for sewing machines, having a body provided with a needle-threadloop seizing beak, a thread-carrier associated with said loop-taker and provided in a wall thereof with a needle-clearance opening, and means carried by said loop-taker for maintaining said wall in the region of said needleclearance opening substantially free from an accumulation of foreign matter.

14. In a sewing machine rotary loop-taker having a body provided with a needle-threadloop seizing beak, and a thread-carrier associated therewith and formed with a needle-clearance opening, the improvement which consists in the provision on said loop-taker body of a wiper having a path of movement in proximity to said opening.

15. A rotary loop-taker for sewingmachines, including a cup-shaped body-member having a cylindrical side wall, said side wall being provided with a needle-thread-loop seizing beak and with a slot extending inwardly from the rim of said side wall, a thread carrier associated with said loop-taker and having a wall thereof proximate to but spaced from said side wall of the loop-taker, a wiper-element disposed in said slot and extending therefrom into wiping relation to said wall of the thread-carrier, and means for securing said wiper-element for rotation with said loop-taker.

16. A rotary loop-taker for sewing machines, including a cup-shaped body-member having a cylindrical side wall, said side wall being provided with a needle-thread-loop seizing beak and with a slot, a thread-carrier member associated with said body-member and having a wall thereof proximate to but spaced from said side wall, a wiper-element extending through said slot and between the walls of said members, and a plate detachably secured upon said body member of the loop-taker in wiper-element clamping position.

JAIWES E. WERTZ. 

